Grade 9 Computer Technology Projects

Day 5

It is always interesting to learn what other teachers do in their classrooms. All the presentations had some new ideas or a creative twist on an old idea. 

Building circuits with automobile electric parts is not something I could easily do in my classroom, but there are other devices that can be recycled. I know, for example, that there are some plug-in relays in the back room of my class. I have thought many times that it would be interesting to have the students build relay-logic circuits (switches in series make  an AND gate, switches in parallel make an OR gate). The problem is to find the matching sockets for the relays. 

The Logicator software seems like a great way to introduce students to the concepts of programming. A flow chart has always been one of the ways that new programmers learn how to create algorithms. The great aspect of Logicator is the ability to simulate the programming of real world equipment like traffic lights, and see the results on the screen.

After watching the presentation about comparing Web Browsers, I was motivated to go and download some of the most recent versions available. By the way, at the moment, my old favorite Mozilla version 4 is rated as the fastest browser available. Of course that is true only until the next version of Chrome or another competitor. It can also lead to a discussion of how Microsoft deals with it's competitors. 

Several of the projects involved building electronic circuits. I have found that the grade nine students enjoy working with electronics, particularly when they are successful. Using simulation software is one way to introduce them to the subject, and it is usually an easy way to get started. I find that solder-less breadboards are not easy to understand for beginners, because the connections are invisible. I recently purchased some transparent breadboards, but even then it is not always clear what is inside the board. So for that reason, I usually have the students build circuits using the traditional bread boarding approach -- soldering components onto nails driven into a piece of plywood. It is primitive, but it is easy to see the circuit, plus they learn how to solder. 


I'm not sure that learning Photoshop is really an aspect of Computer Technology, however it can certainly be linked to Computer Technology. The students could for example use Photoshop to enhance or label pictures of computer hardware. Or trace the pictures in a drawing program to learn about computer hardware and technical drawing. 

In general, I think it is important to keep the new name of the grade nine course in mind when planning activities that give the students opportunities for Exploring Technology. If they get engaged in hands-on challenges that allow them to be creative in the solution of the problem, they are likely to return to take more technology courses in the future.

Technology in Society

Day 11

I find that students are so immersed in a culture where computers and electronic communication devices are taken for granted that it his hard for them to discuss issues like the effects of the growth of computer technology on society. So I always show my grade ten classes a documentary series that was made for PBS and the BBC titled The Machine That Changed the World. The last time I checked it has not been re-released on DVD, but it is available on the web at Waxy.org.  It covers the history of computing from the abacus to the Mac, and does it in a way that actually keeps the students interested! I show the first three episodes titled "Giant Brains", "Inventing the Future", and "The Paperback Computer".

I show my grade 11 students another series made by PBS called Triumph of the Nerds. This one is actually available on DVD! It features the author of the book Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date, narrating the story of how the personal computer grew from being the obsession of a few electronics hobbyists into a multi-billion dollar industry. 

There is a sequel to Triumph of the Nerds called Nerds 2.0.1 A Brief History of the Internet. It is not as good as the others, but it does have it's moments, such as when an early pioneer of the porn industry tells the interviewer that her mother is pleased that she has a job in computers. 

There are web sites associated with all of these videos, and I have included a few more links to sites dealing with the history of computers. 

History of Computing Links   The Machine That Changed the World The Triumph of the Nerds on PBS Nerds 2.0.1 A Brief History of the Internet Wikipedia: Bell Research Laboratories An Historical Timeline of Computer Graphics and Animation Charles Babbage Institute Computer Museum of America History of Computing Information IBM Speakers Bureau Slide Show at Computer Museum of America Konrad Zuse and his computers Silicon Valley Story Table of Contents Sol-20 Archive The Atanasoff Berry Computer UVA Computer Science Computer Museum OLD-COMPUTERS.COM ! COMPUTER PEOPLE

The Computer Technology Classroom.

Day 9

When I began teaching at Glenforest I was the Electrical Technology teacher. I am still teaching in the same room, but it has changed over the years to accommodate the changing course offerings. In 1995-96, the room became the Communication Technology lab, and I became the first Communication Technology teacher. We had eight 486 multimedia computers, three Panasonic SVHS cameras, and a Sony Mavica camera that stored the images on floppy disk!

 Today the classroom is used most of the time as a Computer Technology lab, but each section of Grade 9 students spends half the semester in this room, and sometimes Media Arts classes. 

Compared to some of the other classrooms that are being used for computer technology, the classroom I teach in is huge, about 50' long and 40' wide.There is a mezzanine where the students used to do residential wiring, but currently it is only used for storage.

There are now 28 PCs, all formerly purchased by the Board for student use. They are out of warranty, and no longer supported by the Board technician, but we are still allowed to connect them to the school network and use them as instructional computers. At the moment, there are even a couple of iMacs for the use of the Media Arts students.

I have attempted to make the room more lively and welcoming by decorating the walls with posters about computer hardware. Since I couldn't find a source for useful posters, I had the students make them. They get to keep a copy, and I keep a copy to post on the wall. There is a storage room in one corner under the mezzanine. 

I have dozens of old computers that students use for various purposes. I still have some machines that were procured from Computers for Schools, including some 15" Sony Trinitron monitors. Some are mainly used now as examples for inspection, others are usable for the purpose of installing the operating system and networking. I have accumulated several switches and a couple of residential routers that the students use for networking. 

Some of the original workbenches from the Electrical Technology classroom are still in use as soldering benches. We do need a better ventilation system for the soldering area: as you can see in the photo above, we rely on a pedestal fan to disperse the fumes. The shear from the former Machine Shop is still useful for cutting copper-clad boards. The room has a small drill press, but it would be great to have a small band saw as well. The oscilloscopes date to the 1980s, and it would be great to have some more modern equipment. There is a set of 8 multimeters that are put to good use for troubleshooting circuits, verifying component values, and testing transistors. 


Ideally, I would like to have purpose built work stations with hardwired power at each desk, a set of hand tools, soldering and desoldering station, and space for computers and monitors that each student could use. 


I use the PencilBox Logic trainer for building logic circuits. There were several in the classroom when I took it over, but I have replaced them with a set of 14 new ones.


There is plenty of storage space, but it is in need of better organization. I use the space above the storage cupboards for my personal computer museum. The doors are decorated with old computer magazine ads.